The Shadows behind Pride Rock
by N1kk1 Starlet
Summary: There comes a time in every cub's life when he gets taught the stories of old, and what Nuka hears is something he would've never expected from his father. He only wished he woke up sooner to pester him. Complete, for now.


**Hey all! So, if any of you checked my profile, you'd know that I have a TON of stuff to write, plus a certain sequel which I will get to... maybe... hopefully... :p anywho, BACKSTORY TIME! Picture a ten year old me, watching The Lion King, and reading the Chronicles of narnia over and over again until my mother forced them out of my hands and told me to go to bed. But, I was determined- I needed to give the story a proper ending of my own, so I wrote, unknowingly creating what's called a fanfiction. I have a whole bunch of them stashed on word of my old cartoons, and when the sequels and movies came out, my feels soared for Suspain and the 'romeoXjuliet' thing between Kovu and Kiara. So, it's been a long time since, but I finally managed to type this up here. Though I have a suspicion that not many of you out there would read TLK fics anymore, it's worth a shot. And tomorrow if I have time, I'll post the one I have for Susan and Caspian, to give them justice. I'm on sugar high right now from that klondike bar I just had, so maybe that's why the sudden urge to post this up... but eh. Revisiting my childhood is so much fun. **

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_The Shadows behind Pride Rock_

_Written by: Nikki Starlet. _

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It has been a long time since Mufasa's family had experienced this sort of peace, this tranquility of life. Even though the circle had been long broken, there was a pleasant feeling to the animals, as if things have always been this way this whole time. Whenever someone becomes one with the stars, there will always be someone born under the sun. At least, that much hasn't changed over the years. Kovu, who was born in the Outlands, will never understand why that is so, but he appreciates it more than he'll ever realize.

Yawning loudly, he stretched and glanced over his Pride. On one end was Vitani, his sister, curled up in a comfortable position. She has certainly changed for the better since their mother's death, and does whatever she can to make up for her wrongs. Sometimes she tries a little too hard, but that's all just a matter of opinion.

He chuckled. Beside him were a rouge couple named Zuri and Tau. They had joined his family only a year ago, because they were planning on starting a family somewhere safe. Now the lioness is expecting, and the elders love her to pieces. Tau is a great help on hunts because of his wit and credibility.

Simba and Nala had become his adoptive parents since he joined this family. They were so wonderful to him, so accepting, that Kovu wished he met them under different circumstances. The former king and queen were sleeping peacefully on the big rock in the back of the cave, where it was much cooler. Simba had promised him that this morning they'll journey to the old Outlands, for he wishes to speak with him. The lion's nerves have gotten the better of him when he heard this, wondering if Simba had finally come to his senses and wanted to kick him out. However, given what happened in that past, and who he mated with, he reasoned that it'll never happen any time soon.

The thought of Kiara made his cheeks turn a bright red. She was currently curled under his paw, sighing contently. She was with cub, only a few months along. It was difficult to keep up with her odd cravings, and Kovu had lost a few marbles along the way, but Simba had promised him that the wait will soon be all worth it. They had gotten so close throughout the years, and Kovu couldn't picture himself without any other mate. She was the best thing that's ever happened to him, and he knew he didn't deserve any of this. Perhaps the Great Kings took pity on him.

Shaking his head, Kovu sighed and carefully lifted Kiara out of his paws. He passed on by Zazu, Timon, and Pumbaa who were keeping watch by the gate. Well, at least Zazu was. The old friends were fast asleep. The toucan rolled his eyes and gave his King an appreciative nod before turning back to his post. Kovu chuckled and continued to walk towards his destination, the edge of the rock.

"Bet you never expected this to turn out, huh mother?" He spat, once he sat down. His eyes showed no anger, but content, and forgiveness. "I know you only wanted what was best for me. But… couldn't you have strived for it in a different way? That didn't involve brainwashing me into thinking that Pridelanders were a bunch of cold hearted dicks?" He gave the sky a curious look. "…However… I understand why. I'll do anything to protect Kiara and my unborn cub. I'll jump over the longest rivers to keep them out of harm's grasp. They're my family now… even though I don't deserve any of this." Wind brushed through his mane then, causing him to chuckle. "Yeah, I probably should've told you that she was expecting a while ago, right? But you probably already knew, you sneaky witch. You lions can see everything from up there. Go easy on Mufasa when you see him though, okay? He didn't have a part of any of this."

Simba, who was watching the young King from afar, laughed silently. He was glad Kovu was given a second chance, finding love in his daughter. It's funny how life turns out that way. He was so protective of her, ever since his son was killed by Zira. He only wished that Kovu wouldn't ever go to extremes like he once did.

Yawning once, he took a step forward. "You know, talking to yourself is the first sign of craziness."

Kovu turned and smiled. "Mornin' pops. Good to hear that your sense of humor didn't dwindle with your old age."

Simba's old, wise eyes twinkled with mirth. He pretended to worriedly check his mane. "Meh, I only have a few grey hairs. I still have a few years left on me." The two laughed at their playful banter and he turned to Zazu, who snapped to attention. "Zazu, let us know if anything comes up, alright? We're only going out for a little walk, old friend. Father-to-son bonding time."

Zazu could only giggle and nodded. "Will do. I'll alert the others when they awake." He then made an exasperated sound when Pumbaa snored loudly into his ear. The two elder lions were now walking down the prairie in silence, looking at the many other animals that were already awake and roaming about. Kovu frowned in envy at how comfortably Simba greeted his kingdom, and they gave him the same respect in return. Even though Kovu was the potential king now, until his heir is born, he still has trouble dealing with social interactions. He had hoped that time would be able to heal the wounds his former pack brought upon this pride, but he realized with annoyance that something's just can't fade.

He had also wished that they would stay silent throughout the walk, but the elder king noticed, and placed a reassuring paw on his shoulder. "Hakuna Matata, Kovu. Remember that when times get rough."

Kovu gave Simba a pointed look. "What, so I should just run away and slack off like you did?" He bit his tongue, realizing how hurt his adoptive father was. "I'm… sorry. That was out of line. I guess I'm just stressed out over becoming a parent, the reality of caring for another living, breathing creature seems so surreal to me."

"Even still, it is wrong to keep your feelings bottled up until they come out on their own," He sighed and looked around the place where the Outlands were. "I never understood why my Uncle would turn on the Pride. It was his home, his family. He loved my father more than life itself. But… sometimes we make terrible choices. That doesn't elude us from who we're supposed to be. It's just how the Great Kings planned your decisions. It was no one's fault when Zira… your mother, murdered my son." Kovu glanced up at the old lion in shock, his mouth hanging aghast. "He was only a cub, and I was careless. I turned my back for one minute to talk with Zazu when she pounced. She claimed it was for revenge because she thought I killed Scar, and I hated her with every ounce of my being."

"You didn't?" Kovu managed to say, giving him a look of sympathy.

"No," He continued again softly. "It was the hyenas. He just dug himself into a bigger hole, that's what really happened. It took us many years before we had the courage to try again, and had Kiara. But… this all began with misconception and false understanding. That is why I was so protective over my daughter when she met you. All of us under the skin are the same; we just have our own way of living and make different choices. Some good, some bad, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter. So please, I ask of you," Simba turned to face Kovu. "If anything, Mufasa forbid, were to ever happen to your future cubs, never put the blame on yourself or the animal who brought harm to them. It is a… guilt I had all those years when I was dealing with the loss of Kopa. I still am, to this day. You'll understand when the time comes."

Kovu hummed as he listened to his words, and just stared at his former home. He no longer felt sad to be here, but he didn't feel elated either. It was an odd feeling. Slowly, he turned back to Simba, and nodded in understanding.

Simba grinned and rubbed his massive head against the Outlander's as a sign of affection. "You will make a brilliant father, I have no doubt. Just keep treating my daughter well and I have no complaints. 'Else you know what I'd do." He gulped silently and nodded again, this time a little too quickly. He was about to say something, or make a joke, when Zazu hurriedly flew towards them, Timon and Pumbaa shouting in his wake.

The two lions stared at them in shock as they began talking over each other at once, but it was easy to figure out what the situation was. Kovu, who had been frozen in shock earlier, took off towards the Pride Lands.

"I'M COMING, KIARA! DADDY'S ON HI S WAY!"

Simba chuckled knowingly as happy memories came to him, and followed his old friends back to his home.

0o0o0o0o

"Kovu, where the hell were you?" Vitani sneered, slapping his face with her paw. He took deep breaths as he tried to reply to her, but only ended up falling to the ground in a heap of exhaustion.

"Simba… help… talking… Outlands…" He muttered, to the amusement of the elder lionesses and Kiara, who managed a smile through her pain. Rafiki let out a throaty chuckle and patted his shoulder.

"Ah, this is going to be such a lucky cub, I can already tell."

"Um… thanks?" He rolled his eyes playfully. He wasn't sure if he was being sarcastic or not. His mate's voice weakly called out his name, to which Kovu found all his energy back and ran over to her. "Hey, baby. I'm here. How're ya?"

Kiara bared her teeth. "I'm going to maul you for putting this thing in me. Why didn't you ever tell me how painful giving birth to a new king was, Nala?!" The old lioness chuckled and rubbed noses with her.

"It'll all be worth it in the end, Kiara. Now please, we need you to push..."

Her comforting words didn't calm the Queen's spirit, and the hours that followed were very long, and very gruesome. Simba and Kovu had switched every now and then, easing his nervous mantra just a little. The only family members who were genuinely excited about this were Timon and Pumbaa. They were bantering back and forth which grub should they teach the new prince to eat first –they hoped and prayed to Mufasa that it was going to be a prince; they waited too long for this moment to have it ruined by the cocky old Rafiki— before getting whacked in the head by Simba.

Kovu was just about ready to scream his head off before he heard Kiara give off a loud sigh of relief, and the many elder lionesses squealing with delight. She had finally done it. She had given birth to a son, the Future King of Pride Rock. He laughed quietly and went over to kiss her, feeling so much better than he was before. He felt tears glisten in his eyes when he saw the little cub, his heart swelling with joy. The baby was a spitting image of his father, with his dark black coat and mane. However, he had a lighter underbelly, and his inherited blue eyes from his sister, Vitani.

"He's a dude!" Timon cheered, crying happy tears into Pumbaa's shoulder. "Our prayers have been answered! Thank you, _thank you,_ Great kings of Old!" The warthog rolled his eyes at the dramatic scene his friend was making, but he too, was crying silently at the good fortune.

Kovu laughed and kissed the cub's cheek, to which he smiled hugely and reached out to pat his nose. "He is beautiful, Kiara. Thank you."

She grinned wickedly and giggled. "What are you going to name him?"

He thought about it for a moment, before looking directly into his son's eyes. "I want to honor my brother, so that hopefully Nuka will have a second chance."

"Nuka," Kiara mused, testing out the way it rolled off her tongue. The little cub burped and glanced up at her, that adorable smile of his never leaving his face. "My little prince Nuka. He's so perfect."

Simba smiled warmly at the scene, giving Nala a small peck on the cheek. She blushed as she leaned into him, closing her eyes in content. The ceremony was held the day after for the entire Pride to welcome the new Prince. Everybody loved him, though they will never know the true reason behind his name. They never had the courage to question it. Just days later, Zuri gave birth to her cub, an energetic little girl by the name of Jamila. She was a wonderful addition to the family, and became Nuka's playmate. Kiara was glad for that, as she noticed he was getting lonely since there were not many young cubs in the Pride at the time.

It's been five years since his son, Nuka, was born into the Pride Lands. He turned into such an obedient little kid, always willing to learn new things and meet new animals. He was also very protective of his friend Jamila, even when the circumstances aren't that severe. His curiosity always got the best of him though, -something he inherited from his mother- getting the two into some amusing situations.

Kovu chuckled when he found the cub stuck in a tree one day, as he wanted to see if he can jump as high as a monkey could. He had only gotten a few inches off the ground though, and the weight of him caused the banana's to fall on top of them. Kiara gave them a good scolding when she found that out.

He looked past the Outlands now, where he and Simba had been hoping to revive for a long time. Only a few animals chose to live here; they were trying to make this place work out best they could. He turned to his father. "I know we tried our hardest, Simba, but I really wish we'll get to see the light touch this place soon."

He nodded solemnly. "Even though it's been quite some time, but it'll take longer than we realize for your people to be forgiven. While what happened here was indeed cruel, it's silly how our judgments and old ways of teaching had gotten the better of us."

"Yeah," He murmured thoughtfully, staring down at a little tree. "What do you think this place would look like, when it's revived?" A gazelle and an antelope passed by them happily, bowing respectively at the two kings. They walked on, not having a care in the world.

The older lion stared at him for a while before sighing. "That's… not in my place to predict, Kovu. But…I do hope that it'll be like the paradise I once called home. When Timon and Pumbaa took me in after my father died. I think it'll be a nice gift the Kings of Old can grant us."

"All we have to do is wait, then." Kovu smiled, and it wasn't long before Simba nodded too. Together, the two of them left, back to their home in Pride Rock, oblivious to the pair of yellow eyes sneering behind them.

A young Prince woke up way before dawn to the sound of his stomach rumbling. He yawned and stretched, looking at his two parents who were cuddling nearby. "Dad," He whispered, getting on all fours. "Dad, come on wake up. Mom, dad's not getting up." Kiara could only moan in response, muttering a few incoherent words. Nuka groaned irritably, ignoring her, and continued to pester his father.

"Hey dad, I'm serious dad you promised," Still, he got no answer. Nuka let out a tiny roar and prowled around the cave. He couldn't give up on this, dad promised! From the corner of her eye Kiara grinned sneakily at her mate. With a yawn, he opened his tired eyes and nuzzled her. "Okay, okay. Give me a few minutes."

"YEAH!" He cheered, running out of the cave. Kiara kissed Kovu's cheek with a light chuckle.

"You're such a good daddy." She swooned, much to the annoyance of the King.

"I'll show you how good I am when everyone's asleep, later, you sneaky minx." He chastised her, to which she rolled her eyes and pushed him off. Zuri rolled her eyes at the couple and roared at them to shut up before going back to rest.

"_It's before sunrise, he's your son." _Kovu muttered to himself, remembering a conversation he had with his mate the day before. He chuckled drearily and followed him, feeling a satisfied pop come from his limbs. And there was his boy, happy and wide awake, hopping around the rocks. He smiled at Nuka.

"Alright, so, what was I going to say again?" He asked, pretending to think. The little cub stomped on the ground in annoyance.

"Dad! You were going to show me more kingly duties!" Nuka exclaimed, causing him to chuckle.

"Yes that's right. I remember now… I think."

"Daaaad." He moaned.

"Sorry," Kovu laughed, "I just wanted to pull off a good impression of your granddad." He rubbed the cub's head and motioned for him to sit down comfortably. He motioned his head towards the outlands, his former home. "You see that place over there, my son?"

"Yeah, dad. It's all shadowy and scary,"

Kovu nodded. "Yes. But look closer."

Nuka did what he was told, a bright smile on his face when he saw a small patch of sunlight. "Hey dad, there's sun in that area too! That means it's okay to live there, right?"

"Not exactly, Nuka. You see, Simba and his father before him was taught that everything they saw the light touched, they owned. And everything that wasn't, belonged to some very wicked people. That they must never go there. However… in truth, the mantra was based on a pack of misunderstanding and years upon years of guilt. When you're older, I'll tell you a story all about it. But for now, let's just say that there's two lions battling to survive inside of it. One represents the dark, and one represents the light. They'll go on forever and ever, because they have the same equal power that was given to them."

Nuka thought about this for a long moment as he watched the wind brush through his father's mane, noticing the serious look on his face. He shuddered. "But which one's going to win, dad?" The answer he was expecting didn't come.

"Whichever one I feed, Nuka."


End file.
